


(Never) Sick of You

by CapricornBookworm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Banter, Bathing/Washing, Caretaking, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Harry is sick, M/M, Sick Harry, draco tries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-05 03:45:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15855564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapricornBookworm/pseuds/CapricornBookworm
Summary: The one where Harry gets sick and Draco is a Very Good Boyfriend™.





	(Never) Sick of You

****

A cough wracked Harry’s lungs, the force of it making his vision blur and his throat feel like it was being stripped raw.

Harry had been holding the flu at bay for more than a week, drinking obnoxious amounts of hot tea, going to bed before the sun had gone down, and even making the Weasley’s famously useful - and famously disgusting - home remedy for any type of illness.

But despite Harry’s efforts, he had woken up that morning undeniably sick. His muscles ached and his neck felt stiff and uncomfortable, he had hardly been able to stop coughing since he had first opened his eyes, and his voice had all but disappeared, a measly whisper all that was left.

He also felt chilled all over, gooseflesh spreading over his skin even as he burrowed under the covers, the cold so deep that Harry felt as though he had been thrown into the Black Lake at the height of winter. 

“Are you not up yet?!” a voice called from beyond the bedroom, the haughty click of heeled shoes against hardwood coming steadily closer, “Potter, why - ” the voice began, but then paused as the door to the bedroom creaked open. 

Harry peered out from beneath the covers, eyes blinking blearily up at Draco. He was dressed in a crisp grey button down that perfectly matched his eyes, a black silk tie, and a pair of slim-fitting black trousers. 

“Are you… are you okay?” Draco inquired, looking unsure, his thin eyebrows drawn together as his eyes ran over Harry’s blanket-covered form.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but then a cough was being wrenched out of him, his head vibrating when he finally stopped. “Yes?” he replied sheepishly, his voice hoarse.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry and then walked briskly out of the room, leaving Harry feeling confused and far too tired for someone who slept at least nine hours.

****

The next time Harry opened his eyes, Draco was leaning over him, his tie gone and his shirt unbuttoned at the top, collar splayed open so that Harry could see just a peek of his collarbone.

“Up you get,” Draco commanded softly, guiding Harry into a sitting position and helping him stand up, even as Harry felt a noise of protest rumble in his chest, his muscles aching with every movement. 

Harry’s body swayed dangerously when he stood, his equilibrium shifting and his head spinning as he tried to gain his footing. 

“ _Woah_ there, blimey you’re like a ragdoll,” Draco commented as he steadied Harry, wrapping an arm around Harry’s waist and leading the pair of them slowly toward the attached bathroom.

When they entered the bathroom, Harry felt a rush of steam move over his skin and noticed that the bathtub was filled with water. He blinked slowly, vision unfocused, as he looked from the bathtub to Draco and back once more.

“Did you - ” Harry began, but his words were interrupted by a deep, gut-wrenching cough that had him doubling over while Draco struggled to keep him from falling over. 

“Shhh, don’t speak you dimwit,” Draco chided even as he rubbed a hand gently up and down Harry’s back, his bedshirt slick with cold sweat, his body chilled even though his skin was warm to the touch. 

Draco began undressing Harry with tender touches and little comments beneath his breath. As he peeled the shirt over Harry’s head, rumpling his hair as it went, Draco ran his hands absently over Harry’s shoulders, “Fuck, you’re hot.”

Harry felt a lazy smile spread across his face as his brain registered Draco’s words, “Mmm, thank you,” he croaked out, voice raw from the coughing.

“I meant your _skin_ ,” Draco replied with a huff of laughter, “All that praise over the years gone to your head, has it?”

“S’not true,” Harry said as Draco dropped to his knees, slowly shimmying down Harry’s sleeping trousers, “You love - ” a cough roared through him followed closely by a sneeze, “You love me.”

Draco raised his eyebrows at Harry as he helped him step carefully out of his trousers, “Is that right?”

Harry nodded sleepily, “Yup.”

“Let’s get you into the tub.”

Draco then led Harry toward the bath and lowered him gingerly into the warm water until Harry was sat down, water coming up to his waist. He then rolled up his shirt sleeves, reaching for a bar of soap and a clean rag. 

The next few minutes were filled with nothing but the soft splash of water, the soothing scent of lavender, and the unhurried movements of Draco’s hands over Harry’s body. 

Harry hummed and sighed as Draco lathered soap across his neck and shoulders, down the slope of his spine, and around the curve of Harry’s ears. He tried to breathe deep, allowing the steam from the bath to fill his lungs and soothe his aching chest. 

Then Draco cupped his hands and gather a small scoop of water, pouring it slowly over Harry’s back and rinsing off the suds until the bathwater was filled with a thin layer of foam.

“Lie back,” Draco requested.

Harry slumped forward, letting out a weak cough.

“No, no, _back_ , not forward.”

When Harry didn’t move, Draco pressed a hand to Harry’s chest and pushed him lightly, guiding him until he was reclined against the edge of the tub, head tilted back and legs outstretched.

The soaping process began once more, Draco lathering Harry’s arms and stomach with a thick layer of suds, leisurely massaging Harry’s muscles as he went.

Harry inhaled, his chest rising, the movement changing the course of a group of bubbles as they slid over his skin down into the bathwater. 

His vision began to blur with each passing moment, losing himself in the feeling of Draco’s skilled hands washing his body, his limbs molding into the curve of the bathtub, and his breathing slowing gradually until he was floating somewhere between consciousness and a dream, the combined sensations lulling him to sleep.

****

When Harry first awoke, he found himself propped up on the edge of the bed, fresh clothes soft against his skin as Draco guided his sleep-heavy legs beneath the covers.

Harry tried and failed to remain awake, his eyes closing of their own accord, even as his mind fought to stay.

He was asleep before his dampened hair hit the pillow.

****

The second time Harry stirred, he opened his eyes to find Draco standing at the foot of his bed, both hands covered in cat-patterned Muggle oven mitts - a graduation gift from Mrs. Figg many years ago - as he picked up a pile of used tissues from the bed and threw them each away, a mix of fear, disgust, and concern on his face.

****

A few minutes later, a rustling noise caught Harry’s ear, his eyes fluttering open instinctively, his body still on high-alert even though it had been years since the Battle of Hogwarts, years since he had needed to be so vigilant about his safety.

Draco was leaned over him, tucking Harry back into bed with the blankets pulled up under his chin and tissue box placed conveniently on the small table beside the bed, a rubbish bin of used tissues now filled to the brim and sitting on the ground next to the bed.

After taking a second to process his surroundings, Harry looked up at Draco, speaking earnestly and quietly as if it were a confession, “Draco… I think I’m sick.”

Draco rolled his eyes, and muttered something that sounded like _No shit_ , then he ran a hand through his hair and let out a laugh, “And I’m sick of _you_.”

“Not true. Never,” Harry replied with a lopsided smirk, his body beginning to relax back into the pillows, eyes heavy, mind drifting.

Just when Harry’s eyes fell shut once more, Draco shook a head at him fondly as he echoed Harry’s words, “Never.”

****

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if this fic was a bit of a mess, my brain is a bit of a mess today.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated <3


End file.
